Archangelic: Tribulation
by RandomPsychoEmoBeaver
Summary: Four years have passed. Nothing is the same and there's far too many hard feelings to handle. And then there's a new enemy, someone who's just as dark and twisted as Nitrix. Is it all too much to handle? Warning:language and character death
1. Prologue: I Hate You

**Prologue: I Hate You**

"...she's back"

Those were the words whispered among every metahuman, new and old, throughout Dakota. Even those who no longer had their powers began watching their backs. But as weeks passed with no sing of the telltale white fire, the word dismissed as yet another rumor of her return.

This type of thing had become normality for the heroes as they bagged yet another criminal.

"Do they think we're supposed to get scared when they tell us she's back?" Gear asked as he and Static walked away from the crime scene where a bang baby had been trying to rob a bank.

"I don't know but make sure Morgan doesn't catch wind of it. She always gets her hopes up." Static warned before pulling out his disc. He saluted Gear in farewell for the night and then flew off. As he watched his friend leave, Gear remembered the look of emptiness in Static's eyes. Morgan wasn't the only one getting her hopes up.

Kickstarting his rocket blades, Gear took to the sky. Stealthily, he flew into the open window that was the bedroom of his and Morgan's apartment. The first thing he noticed as he took his helmet off was that she wasn't home. A note on the fridge told him that she was out doing League business and there was a plate of spaghetti waiting for him in the oven. He smiled at her thoughtfulness as he walked over to the oven and took out the plate of food. As he sat down with the food on the couch, he turned on the news to listen to the praise he and Virgil would receive.

"_Today in Dakota, Gear and Static were valiant heroes yet again as they stopped a bank robbery and saved 17 hostages. It was a remarkable feat, though the absence of Matrix did not go unnoticed. There have been rumors going around the city that Nitrix has returned. Will the dynamic female duo of Dakota be reunited? More in a minute."_

Richie groaned and turned the channel. There was nothing on so he turned the TV off altogether and picked up the stereo remote. Soft beats filled the room as he lay back on the couch and relieved the stress from his system. As he began to float in and out of consciousness, soft hands began to caress his face. Morgan's blonde hair fell into his eyes as she leaned down and kissed him.

"Don't sleep here." She whispered and he nodded before sitting up. He allowed her to lead him to the bedroom where they collapsed onto the bed together. The tired look in her eyes and the aches and pains rippling through his own body told Richie that they would only be sleeping tonight. It was enough for him though.

"How has it been?" he asked as they lay in darkness, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Four years next week, I miss her." Morgan lamented and Richie stroked her hair lovingly.

"She said she'd be back. She always keeps her promises, right?" Though he was doubtful of his own words, he hoped Morgan would find solace in them. At the sound of her breathing evening out, he knew his reassurance had worked. For now. Silently, he sat up and stared out the open window at the half moon.

_Wherever you are Lux, I hope you feel Morgan's pain as much as I do. And I hope you regret ever leaving. I hate you for leaving...I hate you so much._

**I'm back and here's the beginning of the long awaited sequel. I hope you like it so far.**


	2. Power Equals Consequences

**Chapter One: Power Equals Consequences**

The sun was just coming up on the horizon. There to greet it was Lux Aeterna. She had changed a lot in four years. Her white hair was several inches shorter, now in a spiky pixie cut. Her caramel skin shone with a unnatural luminescence as the metal underneath it reflected the sun's rays. She had grown leaner, her frame becoming more like a feline's. Her titanium tail swished back and forth as she stared blankly into nothing.

"Home sweet home, right?" A voice from behind her snickered. Cruel insults were on the tip of her tongue as she made no move to greet her poor excuse for a counterpart.

"Hello Atrum," She said and heard a laugh.

"It's Adrian now, actually. I'm human now or at least, I'm trying to be." There was a slight sensation on her arm and her senses flared. She pulled away immediately and turned so her body was facing him. Hearing him gasp, she regretted this.

"It's a price I had to pay. You don't get all this power without a few consequences." She sighed.

"Have you seen Morgan yet?" He asked and she shook her head. It wasn't because she ashamed of her disability but because she knew Morgan would only blame herself.

"I was planning to see Bruce first, but he's at the League headquarters. I'm hoping he gets my message and returns to Gotham soon." She mused.

"Well, I've got your room ready if you're tired. Which I doubt because you're shaking with excitement." She could hear the grin in his voice and knew that he was right. She had been waiting months, stuck in training at Eros, and now she free to roam as she pleased.

"I'll be there later." She said and, after Adrian told her the address, stepped to the edge of the building and allowed herself to submit to gravity's whim.

Falling was a quite a feeling but flying was so much better. In a burst of white fire, she soared into the early morning sky. She knew doing this was precarious, someone would spot her and then the news of her return would be spread. She just hoped she could steer clear from Morgan for a decent amount of time.

"Virgil!" Virgil jerked awake to the sight of Daisy sitting on the edge of his bed. A small smile graced his features as he sat up to greet her. She didn't look happy.

"You have some explaining to do." She hissed.

"Sorry, long night. Is something wrong?" He asked and she threw her hands in the air in exasperation. He watched as she walked over to the closet and began pulling her clothes out. Immediately a light went off in the back of his head. Their three year anniversary dinner was last night and he had missed it.

"Daisy..." His words fell on deaf ears as she shook her head and continued to pack. He opened his mouth to say more but she turned around and held a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Don't even try to apologize. This has been a long time coming and last night was the final straw. You're obviously not equipped for this kind of relationship and I understand that, Virgil. I just hope we can go back to being friends. But for right now, I don't want anything to do with you. You don't know how stupid I felt last night, sitting in that swanky restaurant and everyone knew I had been stood up."

If only he could tell her and he had tried so many times over the last three years but it just never felt right. Being with her, no matter how much he tried, never felt right. So he watched her go and decided that maybe it was for the best.

Once there was no longer a sign of her and knowing he couldn't go back to sleep, Virgil suited up and leapt out his window to begin an early morning patrol. As he flew, he did his best to forget Daisy and the mixture of anger and hate on her face. There was a slight tightening in his chest and he had to land on a building so he would lose his balance and fall. Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths and looked up. What he saw scared him to death. It was white fire and only one person could conjure it.

"Lux..." He said before jumping on his disc and taking off after the trail of fire. Calling out her name again, he saw her slow down before coming to a complete halt.

"Lux!" He stared at her in wonder. She looked so much different now but she was the same girl he had befriended four years ago.

"You weren't supposed to see me." She whispered before looking over at a nearby building and gesturing that he follow her. Once they were on the roof, Virgil allowed himself to really study the new Lux.

"I've been having a bad morning and patrolling was the only way to my mind off of it." He explained and she nodded her head.

"At least you aren't Morgan, I don't think I would have stopped if she had been with you." Lux admitted as she stepped closer to him, "Of course, I can't really know if she's with you or not. So I'll have to trust that you're alone."

"What do you mean...?" Virgil trailed off as her eyes came into view, "but, you led me to this building."

"There's still some sight there and I can make out large forms but essentially, I'm blind as a bat." She explained.

"How...?"

"Look, now isn't the time, okay? There's some business I need to take care of so we'll have to have this conversation later. Just know this, power equal consequences." He then watched as she took off, disappearing into sun's rays. Virgil just started after her, not fully believing that she really come back. And what did she mean by what she had said? Power equals consequences?

He wondered if he should tell Morgan and Richie but he remembered her distressed face and decided against it. As he resumed his patrol, he wondered when they would meet again. He didn't even notice that the tightening, hollow feeling in his chest had been relieved.

**There you go, Lux is back but she won't show up again for another chapter or two. We have to introduce our antagonist. Excitement!**


End file.
